Display apparatus



Sept. 21, 1937. H KNlGHT 2,093,890

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed May 9, 1956 mum!!! INVENTOR WITNESSES @A/( I M ATTORNEY5 Patented Sept. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT orrice DISPLAY APPARATUS Application May 9, 1936, Serial No. 78,847 5 Claims. (Cl. 35--50) This invention relates to improvements in display apparatus and has particular relation to apparatus of this character to be used for advertising purposes.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved display device for graphically demonstrating the relative porosity of materials, principally textile fabrics and the like, including leather, metals, ceramics and all porous materials.

My invention contemplates the provision of an improved display device of the above character having an opening or a plurality of openings, over which one or more strips of fabric or other material are mounted, and having means for directing an air current through the fabric. Above the strips of fabric are mounted indicators, such as fluttering devices, for indicating the relative amounts of air passing through the strips of fabric.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improved display device for indicating the relative porosity of fabrics in which an air current is directed to the fabric by means of a transparent deflecting wall which not only directs a maximum amount of the air toward the fabric being displayed but also provides a window opening to permit spectators to view the under surface of the fabric and the rear of the display device, and the source of air supply, 1. e., fan or blower or mouth as in case of miniature display devices.

With these and other objects in view, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which- Fig. l is a front elevation of a testing and display apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in the direction of 1 the arrows on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4- 1 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing an air current passing through the materials being displayed and showing the pieces of fabric as vibrating as the result of the air current passing therethrough.

My improved display apparatus is provided with a supporting structure, indicated generally by the numeral l0, formed of an upright frame portion ll made of cardboard, fiber, pressed board, ply wood or other suitable material, and a base portion l2 formed of similar material and either secured to or formed integral with the upright portion, the connection between the base portion and the upright portion preferably being flexible so as to permit the base portion to be folded upwardly against the back of the upright portion when the device is not in use and to be folded downwardly to assembled position as shown in the drawing. To support the upright portion in elevated position when in use, I provide a pair of vertical wing members l3 secured in a suitable manner to the back of the upright portion adjacent the two sides thereof and preferably having flexible connection therewith so as to enable the wing members to be folded flat against the back so that the device may be collapsed when not in use. The lower edges of the members l3 are inclined at a slight angle so that when the device is assembled the upright frame portion H inclines rearwardly as shown, giving greater stability to the assemblage.

In the central portion of the upright member if I provide a cutout or opening, indicated at M over which I secure the apparatus for supporting the materials to be displayed or tested and for directing an air current toward the under side of the materials. This apparatus is formed of a pair of substantially parallel side members I5 suitably secured along the lateral edges of the opening M and each having its upper surface preferably inclined downwardly, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3, and its outer surface curved or arc shaped extending from the upper surface downwardly to the point of juncture with the upright frame portion H. Secured between the curved or arcuate outer walls of the side members l5, from the bottom to adjacent the top thereof, is a curved defleeting wall it which ispreferably formed of a suitable transparent material, such as a transparent sheet of cellulose or cellulose derivative or of glass. The are shaped deflecting wall It is so shaped as to direct a current of air coming from the rear of the display device upwardly to the under surface of the material which is being displayed and tested and which is supported in a suitable manner between the tops of the members it.

I can arrange my apparatus so that one or two or any desired number of pieces of fabric or other material may be simultaneously displayed and tested. In the accompanying drawing I have shown the preferred form of my invention in which two pieces of fabric are being displayed and tested simultaneously so as to demonstrate the relative porosity of the materials. In this form of my invention the top of the opening l4 and the top of the deflecting wall l6 are peak shaped, as shown, being inclined downwardly to a slight degree from the central portion toward both sides. A top member l8 formed of suitable material, such as cardboard, fiber or pressed board, is secured between the top of the deflecting wall it and the top of the opening M and extends between the two sides l5.

In the member I8 I provide a pair of circular or irregular openings l9 and 20, over which the fabric which is to be tested is secured. Above the openings l9 and 26, respectively, I provide suitable indicators for showing the amount of air passing through the openings, and for this purpose I prefer to use fluttering devices 2| and 22 consisting of strips of relatively light material, such as colored cellophane, tissue paper, or any other light weight material, secured as by an adhesive at one end indicated at 23 and 24 adjacent the sides of the openings l9 and 2|] and each positioned so as to extend over one of the openings or secured at back adjacent to back support. The pieces of fabric or other material which are to be tested are secured over the openings I9 and 20 beneath the fluttering devices 2| and 22.

In using my apparatus I provide a suitable source of air current, such as an electric fan 25, or a blower or human mouth in the case of a miniature device, positioned at the rear of the display device so as to direct a current of air against the deflecting wall It which in turn will direct the air upwardly through the openings I9 and 20.

My apparatus is particularly suited for testing and. demonstrating the relative porosity of different types of fabrics, and for this reason provides an effective advertising medium for porous summer fabrics. In the accompanying drawing, I have shown my device as being assembled to illustrate the difference in porosity in an ordinary piece of shirting fabric and an especially processed porous shirting fabric. Over the opening I9 is disposed the porous fabric 26, while over the opening 26 is positioned an ordinary piece of shirting fabric 21, both of the pieces of fabric being suitably held in position as by means of an adhesive. Before a current of air is directed on the device, the several parts will appear as shown in Fig. 4 with the fluttering devices 2| and 22 at rest lying smoothly across the top of the pieces of fabric. When the current of air is directed from the rear of the device against the deflecting wall I6, as by turning on the electric fan 25, the air current will pass upwardly through openings l9 and 20 and through the pieces of fabric 26 and 21 in proportion to the porosity of the pieces of fabric. In the illustrated assembly the fabric 26 being somewhat more porous than the fabric 21, more air will pass therethrough and the fluttering device 2| will rise upwardly to a higher level than the fluttering device 22, as shown in Fig. 5. Both of the fluttering devices 2| and 22 will reach an equilibrium at a given height and then will flutter in the air at that approximate height. The relative differences in degree of elevation of the fluttering devices depend upon the relative porosity of the fabrics disposed over the openings, and for that reason the fluttering devices serve as indicators of the porosity of the fabrics. In some instances the difference in porosity will be greater than in the illustrated embodiment, and, accordingly, the fluttering device 2| will then rise substantially higher than shown in Fig. 5. The variations depend, as stated above, upon differ 'ences in porosity of the fabrics.

It will be seen from the illustrated and described embodiment of my invention that I have provided an improved and effective display device for demonstrating the relative porosity of fabrics.

It will also be seen that my improved device will provide a particularly effective advertising medium in that it will attract attention due to the fluttering devices and will impress the spectators with the honesty of the demonstration due to the provision of the transparent deflecting Wall l6,

which serves as a window opening, permitting the spectators to view the rear of the display device and the under surface of the fabric, if they so desire.

It is to be understood, of course, that many modifications may be made in the illustrated and described embodiment of my invention without departing from the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. I also wish it to be understood that the term air current or air as used herein is not intended to signify merely the mixture of gases comprising the atmosphere of the earth but any gaseous fluid.

I claim:

1. In display apparatus for demonstrating the porosity of a material, a strip of the material, means for supporting the strip of material, means for causing a current of air, means for directing the current of air against one side of the strip of material, and means including a fluttering device disposed on the other side of the material for indicating the amount of air passing therefrom, said strip of material being sufiiciently pervious to air so that the air current causes the fluttering device to operate.

2. In display apparatus for demonstrating the porosity of a fabric, a supporting structure, a strip of fabric supported on said structure, means for creating an air current, means for directing the air current against one side of the strip of fabric, and a fluttering device on the other side of the fabric for indicating the amount of air passing therethrough, said supporting structure being provided with a window opening so as to reveal the under surface of the fabric from the front of the apparatus, and the fabric being sufficiently pervious to air so that the air current causes the fluttering device to operate.

3. In display apparatus for demonstrating the porosity of a fabric, a supporting structure having an opening therein, a strip of fabric sup ported over the opening, means for creating an air current, a deflecting wall for directing the air current against one side of the fabric, and a fluttering device on the other side of the fabric for indicating the amount of air passing therethrough, said fabric being sufliciently pervious to air so that the air current causes the operation of the fluttering device.

4. In display apparatus for demonstrating the relative porosity of fabrics, a plurality of strips of fabric, means supporting said strips of fabric, means for creating an air current, means for directing theair current against one side of said strips of fabric, and independent fluttering devices for each of said strips of fabric for indicating the amount of air passing therethrough, said strips of fabric being sufliciently pervious to air so that the air current causes the operation of the fluttering devices.

5. In display apparatus for demonstrating the relative porosity of fabrics, a supporting structure having a plurality of openings formed therein adjacent each other, a plurality of relatively porous strips of fabric, one strip being disposed over each opening, and one of said strips being more porous than another strip, means providing an air passage leading to the openings and cooperable to direct a current of air against one side of each of said strips of fabric, and fluttering devices consisting of strips of relatively light material disposed over said openings above said strips of fabric and cooperable to flutter when a current of air passes through the fabric.

HAROLD E. H. KNIGHT. 

